Dispatch sells 1M in 10 days — the superhero workplace comedy gamers actually like

Why this caught my eye

Episodic narrative games don’t usually rocket past a million sales in ten days, especially not from a debut studio. Dispatch did. The superhero workplace comedy from AdHoc Studio (founded by ex-Telltale veterans) has racked up glowing player scores across the board, and Episodes 5 and 6 are out now with the season finale landing November 12. I perked up because this format has burned players before-slow cadences, wobbly finales-but Dispatch seems to be doing the one thing episodic games must: deliver quickly and consistently while actually being fun moment to moment.

Key takeaways

• 1M sold in 10 days is huge for a story-led, debut episodic series-there’s clearly demand for a smart superhero send-up.
• Episodes 5-6 are live; the finale hits November 12, which suggests AdHoc isn’t dragging the season out.
• Player sentiment is unusually aligned across stores (93% on Steam, 4.95 on PS Store, 9.3 Metacritic users), pointing to genuine word-of-mouth.
• The hook isn’t just choices; it’s a dispatcher-management layer where you assign heroes, juggle fatigue, and handle PR fallout.

Breaking down the announcement

AdHoc says Dispatch crossed one million copies on Steam and PlayStation in just ten days. That’s not common territory for narrative-heavy games with no live-service grind. On top of that, Episodes 5 and 6 are available now, and the finale drops November 12—meaning if you’re the “wait for the season” type, you’re essentially there. The user scores are eye-popping: 93% positive on Steam, near-perfect PS Store ratings, and a 9.3 Metacritic user score. Yes, user ratings are volatile, but you don’t typically see this kind of alignment across ecosystems unless the game is clicking beyond a niche.

Why this works in 2025

Superhero fatigue is real. The fix isn’t “more capes”—it’s a different lens. Dispatch goes full workplace comedy, putting you in the hot seat as the dispatcher for a chaotic crew of reformed villains-turned-heroes. Instead of role-playing the puncher, you’re the person who decides who gets sent to the punch. That shift matters. It lets the writers poke at superhero tropes while giving players a systems layer: assign heroes based on skills, manage energy and relationships, and live with the consequences when a PR-friendly pick flames out on a combat-heavy job.

This isn’t a brand-new idea—games like 911 Operator, Not Tonight, and even bits of XCOM have mined the dispatch/management perspective—but pairing it with a Telltale-style branching narrative is a smart play. The management choices aren’t just numbers; they ripple through dialogue, character arcs, and how the city sees your team. When players say it “feels different,” they’re reacting to that friction: your strategic brain and your narrative instincts pushing against each other.

Episodic done right (so far)

The elephant in the room with episodic games is cadence. We’ve all lived through multi-month droughts that killed momentum and turned hype into resentment. Dispatch appears to be avoiding that pitfall by sprinting to the finish—Episodes 5 and 6 out, finale imminent. That pace keeps theories hot, community chatter lively, and, crucially, prevents the fatigue that sets in when choices you made four months ago are a faint memory.

I also appreciate that, from what players are reporting, Dispatch isn’t beholden to a binary “good/bad” morality. Assigning the “right” hero can still lead to messy outcomes, and the comedy doesn’t undercut stakes. It’s closer to a workplace sitcom that sometimes detonates into chaos—think less grimdark, more “how did HR sign off on this squad?” That tone seems to be landing with folks who want superhero vibes without the self-serious monologues.

What gamers should watch for

Two big questions remain. First: can the finale pay off player choices without funneling everyone into the same narrow ending? That’s the classic episodic trap—lots of branches early, a choke point late. If AdHoc sticks the landing and preserves the sense that your dispatch board mattered, Dispatch graduates from “clever experiment” to a new bar for the genre.

Second: sustainability. A million in ten days is a statement, but what happens after the credits? If there’s a Season 2, does the studio keep this tighter release model? Episodic games live or die on trust. Right now, AdHoc’s delivery cadence is a confidence builder, and the community sentiment suggests they’ve earned a longer leash than most first-timers.

Practical notes if you’re jumping in: it’s on Steam and PlayStation, and it plays well in bite-sized sessions. Expect to assign heroes to missions with different skill needs, manage fatigue and relationships, and see your calls echoed in later episodes. If you like narrative games but want a bit more strategy than picking dialogue from a wheel, this is squarely in your lane.

Bottom line

Dispatch isn’t winning because it reinvented the superhero. It’s winning because it respects your time, delivers episodes at a healthy clip, and makes your choices feel like more than flavor text. If the November 12 finale maintains that standard, AdHoc won’t just have a hit—they’ll have a blueprint for how episodic storytelling can thrive in 2025.

TL;DR

Dispatch sold 1M in 10 days and is wrapping its first season fast—Episodes 5-6 are out, finale hits Nov 12. The superhero workplace angle plus a real management layer is resonating. If the ending honors your choices, this could be the new episodic gold standard.